Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Water Tower
20 minAll ages; wheelchair accessibleDog-friendlyAll year
Walk · 20 min · Free · The covered wooden bridge over the Reuss, with its 17th-century paintings and the octagonal Water Tower.
ArrivalFlight to Zurich (ZRH) and train, just over 1 h
Stay2 nights
CarNot needed
Best timeMay, June, July, August, September, December
RegionLucerne
What to do
What to do in Lucerne
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Golden Round Trip to Pilatus by Boat, Cogwheel Railway and Gondola
4 h 30All ages; reduced fare for ages 6 to 15May – October
Boat, cogwheel railway and gondola · 4–5 h · From CHF 59.90 with a Half Fare Card · May – October · The circular loop up Pilatus from Lucerne.
From CHF119
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Mount Rigi by boat and rack railway from Vitznau
5 hFamilies; children up to 15 free with an adultAll year; maintenance in November
Boat and rack railway · Half a day · CHF 84, children free with an adult · All year · The summit of Rigi Kulm above two lakes.
From CHF84
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Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Lucerne, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Lucerne
May to September, with the Pilatus cogwheel train running and more steamers on the lake. December for the Christmas markets; in November, beware of cable car maintenance on Pilatus and Rigi.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Lucerne your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Lucerne by train and boat, without a car
Lucerne is one of the Swiss cities where you need a car least. The station is by the lake, the old town can be walked in an hour and the two great mountains, Pilatus and Rigi, are climbed by boat and rack railway from the landing stage opposite. The budget is set by the hotel and the ascents: choose one or two and combine with the boat.
150–320 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayLucerne Youth Hostel, doubles and…
- Getting aroundOn foot over the Reuss…
- Where to eatRathaus Brauerei, open every day…
- ServicesLucerne Station, with trains to…
Where to stay
- Lucerne Youth Hostel, doubles and rooms of 4 to 6 beds with breakfast, on bus 19
- Hotel des Balances, in the old town, five minutes from the station
- Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, on the lakeside promenade, for a treat
Getting around
- On foot over the Reuss bridges, through the old town and to the Lion Monument
- SGV boats from the station landing stage to Vitznau, Alpnachstad and Flüelen
- Rack railway to Rigi from Vitznau and to Pilatus from Alpnachstad; bus back from Kriens
- S3 train or buses to the Museum of Transport
Where to eat
- Rathaus Brauerei, open every day, with its own beer
- Wirtshaus Galliker, Lucerne cooking Tuesday to Saturday
- Old Swiss House, for the schnitzel prepared at the table
Services
- Lucerne Station, with trains to Zurich airport
- Tourist office on platform 3
Fly to Zurich and take the train to Lucerne
Lucerne has no airport, but Zurich's is a little over an hour away by train and has direct flights from several Spanish cities. The station is beneath the terminal: you get off the plane, buy your ticket or activate the Swiss Travel Pass and board the train, direct or with a change at Zurich HB. In Lucerne you do not need a car: the centre can be walked and the excursions leave by boat and train from the same station.
- Getting thereZurich (ZRH), with a railway…
- Getting aroundThe Swiss Travel Pass covers…
- Where to stayHotel des Balances, five minutes…
- ServicesLucerne Station, with direct trains…
Getting there
- Zurich (ZRH), with a railway station beneath the terminal and trains to Lucerne in a little over an hour
- Basel (BSL) and Geneva (GVA) as alternatives, with more hours by train
- In Lucerne, the station is opposite the lake and the boat landing stage
Getting around
- The Swiss Travel Pass covers the train from the airport, the lake boat and the ascent of Rigi; Pilatus is half price
- On foot through the old town and over the Reuss bridges
- Bus 19 to the youth hostel; S3 or buses 6, 8 and 24 to the Museum of Transport
Where to stay
- Hotel des Balances, five minutes on foot from the station, if you arrive late
- Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, on the lakeside promenade, across the bridge
- Lucerne Youth Hostel, with breakfast included, by bus from the station
Services
- Lucerne Station, with direct trains to Zurich airport
- Tourist office on platform 3 of the station
How much does it cost?
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Nights3
Who you're with
Lucerne for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Boats, rack railways and a train museum
Lucerne works very well with children because almost everything is transport: the boat, the rack railway, the cable car and an entire museum of trains, planes and boats. Distances are short, the centre is flat and many of the ascents are free or half price for children. Alternate a mountain day with a city and museum day.
- What works bestMount Rigi from Vitznau: children…
- Where to stayLucerne Youth Hostel, with rooms…
- Where to eatRathaus Brauerei, open every day…
- Bear in mindThe children's boat pass, for…
What works best
- Mount Rigi from Vitznau: children up to 15 free with an adult, and the boat on the way out
- Swiss Museum of Transport, open 365 days, with a planetarium; free up to age 6
- Golden Round Trip to Pilatus, May to October, with a reduced fare for ages 6 to 15
- Chapel Bridge and the Lion Monument, free and on foot
Where to stay
- Lucerne Youth Hostel, with rooms of 4 to 6 beds, breakfast included and games outside
- Hotel des Balances, in the centre, if you want everything on foot
Where to eat
- Rathaus Brauerei, open every day, with sausages, chicken and cheese tart
- Wirtshaus Galliker, to try the rösti and the Chügelipastetli; book
Bear in mind
- The children's boat pass, for ages 6 to 15, costs CHF 12 a day
- The Pilatus rack railway only runs from May to November
- Up at Pilatus and Rigi it is cold even when it is warm below: bring a coat
What to do as a family
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern
Why we like it: Five-star grand hotel from 1845 on the lakeside promenade, owned by the Hauser family, with 101 rooms that each tell the story of a guest.
Hotel des Balances
Why we like it: Four-star hotel from 1836 on the Weinmarkt, with a painted facade and a terrace over the Reuss, five minutes on foot from the station and the KKL.
Lucerne Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge Luzern)
Why we like it: The Swiss Youth Hostels hostel next to the Rotsee nature reserve, with double rooms and rooms of 4 to 6 beds, breakfast included and open all year.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Lucerne
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Wirtshaus Galliker
What to order: the Lozärner Chügelipastetli, the Lucerne vol-au-vent, and the rösti with pork sausage and onion sauce; the pot-au-feu, if it is a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.
Book by phone; the house strongly recommends it.
Rathaus Brauerei
What to order: a house beer with the Rathaus Bier Würstli, CHF 24, or the Lucerne cheese tart, CHF 15, or the Graubünden barley soup.
The terrace cannot be booked; the dining room can, by phone for up to four people.
Old Swiss House
What to order: the house Wiener Schnitzel, prepared in front of you on the trolley, CHF 66; it is served with ribbon noodles, crisp crumbs and cranberry compote.
Hot food at lunchtime until 13:30 and in the evening until 21:00.
Nearby
Near Lucerne
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy excursions on the day
Boats and cogwheel trains are paid for at the ticket office or online: decide in the morning, depending on the weather.
- 2Go up early
In the afternoon the summits are more often covered in cloud.
- 3Sleep near the station
Everything departs from there: the airport train, the boats and the buses.
Getting there from Spain
Fly to Zurich (ZRH), which has direct flights from several Spanish cities. The railway station is beneath the terminal and Lucerne is just over an hour away, on a direct train or changing at Zurich HB. Lucerne station faces the lake: as you step out, the boat landing is right in front of you and, to the right, the Chapel Bridge. You never need a car: the centre is covered on foot and the mountains are reached by boat and train. If you already have the Swiss Travel Pass, the train from the airport is included.
What to see and do
The city itself takes half a day: the two wooden bridges over the Reuss, the old town and the Lion Monument. What makes it worth two nights is the lake and its mountains. The Pilatus Golden Round Trip is the classic outing, by boat, cogwheel train and gondola, from May to October. The Rigi from Vitznau is gentler and open all year, with children free. The steamer to Flüelen takes a whole day, and the Swiss Museum of Transport sorts out a rainy day.
- Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)
- Pilatus Golden Round Trip
- Mount Rigi from Vitznau
- Steamers on the lake
- Lion Monument
- Swiss Museum of Transport
Where to eat
- Rathaus Brauerei, a brewery with its own brewhouse beneath the town hall, open every day
- Wirtshaus Galliker, traditional Lucerne cooking, Tuesday to Saturday
- Old Swiss House, the schnitzel prepared at your table next to the lion
Where to stay
- Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, a five-star hotel from 1845 on the lakefront promenade
- Hotel des Balances, a four-star hotel on the Reuss, five minutes from the station
- Lucerne Youth Hostel, beside the Rotsee, breakfast included
Pilatus or Rigi, and the pass
If you only have time for one mountain, Pilatus is higher, rockier and more spectacular, but the cogwheel train only runs from May to November and the Golden Round Trip costs CHF 119.80. Rigi is gentler, open all year and costs CHF 84 return from Vitznau, with children up to 15 free when accompanied by an adult. With the Swiss Travel Pass the sums change: Rigi and the boat are included and Pilatus is half price. Check the summit webcams before you buy; if there is cloud, change the day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Lucerne from Spain?
Fly to Zurich and take the train from the airport station, just over an hour.
How many days do you need?
Two nights: one day for the city and the boat, another for Pilatus or Rigi.
Do you need a car?
No. Everything is done on foot, by boat and by train from the station.
When is the best time to go?
May to September for the mountains; in November there is cable car maintenance.
Which mountain is better with children?
Rigi: gentler, open all year and free for under-16s with an adult.